Rigodeaux given the title Frampton vacated as WBA eye 122lb tournament

Former Willie Casey foe and the fighter that has continually been linked to Carl Frampton Guillermo Rigondeaux has been given back his status as the WBA “super” champion at 122-pounds.

The Cuban, whose early career was mentored by Cork man Gary Hyde was stripped of the belt in November due to inactivity, despite the fact he seemed open to all challenges, but couldn’t find a puncher to face him.

Scott Quigg became ‘Super’ Champion by proxy, but was dethroned as ‘The Jackal’ unified titles back in February. The WBA then installed the Cuban two time Olympic champ as mandatory for one of Frampton’s two straps, but the Belfast man has moved up for a massive bout with WBA featherweight champ Leo Santa Cruz.

Rigondeaux will defend his reacquired belt against either James “Jazza” Dickens or Jamie McDonnell, the WBA bantam champ, who is looking to move up in weight.

The WBA plans to stage a mini-tournament to crown one man as its super-bantamweight ruler, as the WBA explained.

“What we are going to do now is kind of a tournament,” they said on their website. “The winner of the fight between Rigondeaux and Dickens or McDonnell will go to the winner of Flores and Ambunda, and then the winner of these fights will go to the winner of Cermeno and Xiao, and what we will have is a single champion.”